Argentina is one of the largest favorites you will ever see in the FIFA World Cup knockout round. The Albiceleste are expected to roll past Australia in their...
World Cup 2022 Scores: Wednesday's Results and Thursday's Schedule
Nov 30, 2022
DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 30: Julian Alvarez of Argentina and Alexis Mac Allister of Argentina celebrate during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Poland and Argentina at Stadium 974 on November 30, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Getty Images)
The second advancement spot out of Group C at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar went down to the final seconds of the third group-stage games on Wednesday afternoon.
Poland lost 2-0 to Argentina, but a late concession by Mexico in its 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia allowed Poland to go through on goal differential.
For about 20 minutes, which felt like an eternity to both teams, Poland appeared to be headed through on the fair-play tiebreaker with two fewer yellow cards than Mexico.
Saudi Arabia's 95th-minute goal made the math as simple as it could be for the Poles, who took second behind Argentina in Group C.
Argentina may have scored four or five goals in its win over Poland, but Wojciech Szczęsny had other plans for the Albiceleste.
Argentina finally broke the deadlock out of halftime and surged in front to win Group C and set up a round-of-16 clash with Group D runner-up Australia. Poland faces Group D winner France to start the knockout round.
Australia used a victory over Denmark to gain an advantage over Denmark and Tunisia behind France in Group D's final two games, which were far less chaotic than the two in play in Group C.
Updated Round of 16 Matchups
Saturday: Netherlands vs. USA, 10 a.m. ET
Saturday: Argentina vs. Australia, 2 p.m. ET
Sunday: France vs. Poland, 10 a.m. ET
Sunday: England vs. Senegal, 2 p.m. ET
Group C
1. Argentina - 6 points
2. Poland - 4 (advanced on goal differential)
3. Mexico - 4
4. Saudi Arabia - 3
Wednesday Results
Argentina 2, Poland 0
Mexico 2, Saudi Arabia 1
The Group C drama escalated at the start of the second half in each game.
Argentina seized a lead over Poland through Alexis Mac Allister in the 46th minute.
A goal that Alexis Mac Allister will never forget 🇦🇷
Mexico then pulled ahead of Saudi Arabia in the 47th minute through a Henry Martin goal off a corner kick. El Tri scored again five minutes later on one of the best goals of the tournament. Luis Chávez struck a free kick from outside the box directly into the top right corner of the net.
Julián Álvarez then pulled Argentina ahead by two goals with his 67th-minute strike. That goal put Mexico and Poland level on every tiebreaker except for fair play.
Saudi Arabia then ended Mexico's time in Qatar for certain with a 95th-minute strike off the boot of Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored against Argentina earlier in the tournament.
Al-Dawsari's goal did not mean anything for Saudi Arabia—all it did was confirm that Poland would go through over Mexico.
Argentina's group win means it plays Australia on Saturday in the same side of the bracket as the United States and the Netherlands. Poland plays France on Sunday.
Group D
1. France - 6
2. Australia - 6
3. Tunisia - 4
4. Denmark - 1
Wednesday Results
Tunisia 1, France 0
Australia 1, Denmark 0
The key events in Group D took place within a few minutes of each other at the Al Janoub Stadium and Education City Stadium.
Tunisia struck for the first goal of the day through Wahbi Khazri in the 58th minute against France.
Tunisia was in second place in Group D for only a few minutes because Australia answered right away with its goal vs. Denmark.
Mathew Leckie cut a rolling shot past a diving Kasper Schmeichel to place the Socceroos into second place, where they remained after 30 nervy minutes in both games.
Australia held on to a clean sheet that was in part recorded because of its strong defensive play, led by center back Harry Souttar, and in part because Denmark could not put many significant chances on goal.
Denmark put just four of its 15 shots on target and none of the strikers it brought on to save it from elimination were particularly good. Denmark needed a win, and therefore two goals in 30 minutes, to hang on to its hopes of staying in Qatar.
Tunisia's 1-0 lead somehow held on through the final minute against France. The French rotated nine players into their starting lineup and looked disjointed throughout the first 60 minutes.
Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann changed the game when they entered the field. Tunisia could not get out of its own end in the final 30 minutes. The African side needed to hold on to the win and for Denmark to come back to have a chance of moving on.
Just as Australia confirmed its spot in the final 16, Tunisia conceded to Griezmann, but after a lengthy video review, the goal was ruled out and Tunisia left the World Cup with an historic win over France.
The Frenchmen topped the group despite the loss because its goal differential was four goals better than Australia's.
Thursday Schedule
Group F: Croatia vs. Belgium (10 a.m. ET, Fox)
Group F: Canada vs. Morocco (10 a.m. ET, FS1)
Group E: Japan vs. Spain (2 p.m. ET, Fox)
Group E: Costa Rica vs. Germany (2 p.m. ET, FS1)
Lionel Messi's Penalty Miss Stuns Twitter as Argentina Tops Poland at World Cup
Nov 30, 2022
DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 30: Lionel Messi of Argentina on the ball during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Poland and Argentina at Stadium 974 on November 30, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi was held scoreless Wednesday in Qatar, but Argentina still punched its ticket to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Poland.
Julián Álvarez impressed in his first start of the tournament, scoring the second goal while showcasing his ability throughout the match:
Julián Álvarez wasn't missing this one 🎯🔥
As it stands, Poland is still through to the knockout stage on the fair play tiebreaker 😬 pic.twitter.com/qlr0j4sMlJ
Said before a ball was kicked Argentina could have some really good success with Julián Álvarez in this team, not just going to get goals but his movement is excellent. Peels away from defenders really quickly and his the vision for a pass. Is very mobile and fluid.
Messi was held without a goal or assist for the first time all tournament, which usually isn't a great sign for Argentina. The Paris Saint-Germain star still made a positive impact with his passing, although he was fortunate the rest of the squad filled in with a pair of quality goals.
Canelo Alvarez Apologizes to Lionel Messi After Comments About Mexico Jersey Video
Nov 30, 2022
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 16: Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez speaks during the press conference on the 'VMC' beverages by 'Canelo' Alvarez at Monumento A La Revolucion on November 16, 2022 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)
Canelo Alvarez issued an apology Wednesday for threatening Lionel Messi on social media following Mexico's loss to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.
Canelo Alvarez has apologised for his comments towards Lionel Messi after Argentina's win against Mexico 🗣 pic.twitter.com/CPB1V0L5AO
Alvarez seemed to believe Messi kicked the Mexican jersey on purpose, taking it as a sign of disrespect. He tweeted Messi "better pray to God that I don't find him," while most observers found Alvarez to be overreacting to what was seemingly an innocent situation.
Retired Argentine striker Sergio Agüero came to Messi's defense and also engaged in a war of words with Alvarez.
"Mr. Canelo, don't look for excuses or problems, surely you don't know about soccer and what happens in a locker room," Agüero wrote on social media. "The shirts are always on the floor after the games are over due to sweat and then if you see well, he makes the movement to remove the boot and accidentally hits it."
Alvarez responded with an expletive-laden tweet, calling Agüero a "b---h." Agüero came back at Canelo in a follow-up video, saying Alvarez has "earned the hatred of all of Argentina."
Messi has not commented on the controversy, and Alvarez's apology appears to be an attempt to squash the beef before it continues escalating.
Two of the biggest stars in men's soccer will square off on Wednesday with spots in the 2022 FIFA World Cup knockout round on the line. Robert Lewandowski and...
Lionel Messi's 'Magic' Applauded by Twitter as Argentina Tops Mexico in World Cup
Nov 26, 2022
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 26: Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates at the end of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Mexico at Lusail Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
With their backs against the wall following a World Cup-opening loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina players were saved Saturday in Qatar by the play of legendary superstar Lionel Messi.
Argentina would have been eliminated with a loss to Mexico, but Messi scored in the 64th minute and then assisted on Enzo Fernández's goal in the 87th minute to seal a 2-0 win over Mexico.
Messi's tiebreaking goal was a wonder strike from outside the box that beat the goalkeeper low and to the right to put Argentina ahead:
Twitter erupted with praise for Messi after the goal, including a comment from Frank Isola of YES Network regarding the "magic" he made when given the opportunity:
All Messi needed was a little bit of space to create one moment of magic.
Twitter was also abuzz regarding the history Messi made with his second goal of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including matching the career World Cup goal total of fellow Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona:
In the loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina was unable to add to the 1-0 lead it earned in the 10th minute despite several high-quality opportunities. On Saturday, the team did not make the same mistake.
Argentina effectively ended any hope of a Mexico comeback in the 87th minute when Messi fed Fernández and the 21-year-old scored to extend the lead to 2-0:
Instead of being sent home with a loss, Argentina is now tied for second in its group with three points, along with Saudi Arabia. The team also trails first-place Poland by only one point.
While several different scenarios could result in Argentina advancing to the knockout stage, the one way to guarantee it would be a win over Poland.
Argentina entered the World Cup as one of the top contenders to win, and while the narrative changed quickly after losing to Saudi Arabia, Messi put his team right back in the mix in what is almost certainly the 35-year-old's final World Cup.
World Cup 2022 Scores: Saturday's Group Results and Sunday's Schedule
Nov 26, 2022
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 26: Lionel Messi (10) of Argentina celebrates after his goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Mexico at Lusail Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Three of the biggest names in men's soccer produced crucial goals for their respective teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Robert Lewandowski finally broke his World Cup scoring drought in Poland's 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia, Kylian Mbappe bagged a brace in France's 2-1 victory over Denmark and Lionel Messi scored for Argentina to keep its tournament hopes alive in a 2-0 win over Mexico.
Messi's goal was the most important one for the three teams because Argentina was staring at elimination if it lost to Mexico. Argentina now controls its own fate to reach the round of 16.
In Group D, France became the first team to book its spot in the round of 16. Australia, Denmark and Tunisia are all still alive for the second advancement spot.
Australia took control of that group with a 1-0 win over Tunisia, but the Socceroos still have to play Denmark in the final group stage game.
Lionel Messi ensured Argentina would stay alive for advancement into the final group stage game.
The Argentinian great rolled a shot from outside the box past a diving Guillermo Ochoa and into the right side of the net in the 64th minute against Mexico.
Argentina's lead was padded by Enzo Fernandez in the 87th minute. That tally moved Argentina ahead of Saudi Arabia by two on goal differential.
Saudi Arabia fell down to third place in Group C after it lost to Poland in the second match of the day.
Robert Lewandowski finished off the victory, when he took advantage of a defensive mistake in the 82nd minute. That was the first World Cup goal in five matches for the Barcelona forward.
Poland topped Group C with its win and now it will go head-to-head with Argentina for first place in the four-team group.
Poland just needs a draw to get through, but Argentina will be playing for the win. Argentina not only wants to avoid any danger in Group C, but the second-place finisher in the group will likely be matched up with France.
Saudi Arabia needs to beat Mexico and make up its goal differential on Argentina, if the two sides both win, to get into the round of 16.
Mexico first needs to beat Saudi Arabia to eliminate the Asian side and then the math becomes a bit more complicated.
A Mexico win and a Poland win would put El Tri through in second place. Mexico would have to make up a four-goal deficit in goal differential to leap over Poland, if the two sides finish on four points.
Group D
1. France - 6 (6 GF, 2 GA, +4 GD)
2. Australia - 3 (2 GF, 4 GA -2 GD)
3. Denmark - 1 (1 GF, 2 GA, -1 GD)
4. Tunisia - 1 (0 GF, 1 GA, - 1 GD)
France became the first team to advance to the round of 16 with its 2-1 win over Denmark.
Kylian Mbappé moved into a tie for the lead for the Golden Boot with a pair of second-half strikes against a Danish side that beat the reigning champion twice in the UEFA Nations League earlier this year.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 61st minute and then secured the victory in the 86th minute. Andreas Christiansen scored Denmark's goal in the 68th minute.
The victory put France three points ahead of Australia in Group D. The French beat the Socceroos by three goals in their opening match in Qatar.
France should clinch first place in Group D in its final group match against Tunisia, who has not scored in the World Cup yet.
Tunisia is still alive for second place in Group D because it sits two points back of Australia.
However, the African side needs to be more productive in attack than it was against the Aussies and Denmark in order to even have a shot against France.
If France wins as expected, Denmark and Australia will fight for the second advancement spot from Group D.
Australia put itself in a great position to move on to the round of 16 through Mitchell Duke's 23rd-minute game-winning goal against Tunisia in Saturday's first match.
Australia needs a win over Denmark to get into the round of 16. A draw would be sufficient as long as France gets one point out of its match against Tunisia.
Denmark gets through with a win over Australia, while Tunisia needs an unlikely win over France and a better goal differential over Denmark, if the two sides are tied, to stay alive in the tournament.
The Group C showdown between Argentina and Mexico was always going to be one of the most important group-stage matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The stakes...
World Cup 2022 Scores: Tuesday's Group Results and Wednesday's Schedule
Nov 22, 2022
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 22: Salem Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia celebrates victory while Angel Di Maria of Argentina shows dejection after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at Lusail Stadium on November 22, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The third day of the 2022 FIFA World Cup was bookended by a stunning loss from one of the pre-tournament favorites and a win by the reigning champion.
Argentina kicked off the four-game slate with a stunning 2-1 defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi scored for the South American side, but that was an afterthought following the pair of goals netted by Saudi Arabia in the second half.
For 25 minutes, France was on edge in the final match of the day, but the reigning World Cup champion rebounded in fine fashion to beat Australia 4-1.
In between those two results were a pair of scoreless draws between Denmark and Tunisia in Group D and Mexico and Poland in Group C.
France is in great shape to win its group because of the Denmark-Tunisia tie, and while Argentina will be disappointed with its result, it still sits in good shape because Mexico and Poland failed to capitalize.
Group C
1. Saudi Arabia - 3 points (2 goals for, 1 goal against, +1 goal differential)
2. Mexico - 1 (0 GF, 0 GA, 0 GD)
3. Poland - 1 (0 GF, 0 GA, 0 GD)
4. Argentina - 0 (1 GF, 2 GA, -1 GD)
Saudi Arabia produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history to open up Tuesday's four-game slate.
Not only did Saudi Arabia beat Argentina, but it did so in come-from-behind fashion with two goals in the second half.
Salem Al-Dawsari delivered the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute on a brilliant strike that flew into the top right-hand corner.
The pair of Saudi goals came after Argentina controlled the first half.
Lionel Messi opened his 2022 World Cup account with a 10th-minute penalty. La Albiceleste thought that would be the first of many on Tuesday, but three Argentina goals in the first half were ruled out for offside and the South American side had trouble breaking down the Saudi defense in the second half.
Mexico and Poland failed to take advantage of Argentina's slip-up later on Tuesday. The two sides played to a scoreless draw.
Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made the biggest play of the game when he stopped a Robert Lewandowski penalty.
Entering Tuesday, a scoreless draw would not have been the worst result for Mexico and Poland. Both teams were expected to beat Saudi Arabia and scrap for points against Argentina to make it to the knockout round.
Now that Saudi Arabia looks a bit tougher than projected, the draw looks bad for both teams because it feels like a missed opportunity on both sides.
Lewandowski and Poland will test the strengths of the Saudis on Saturday, while Mexico takes on Argentina later in the day.
Group D
1. France - 3 (4 GF, 1 GA, +3 GD)
2. Tunisia - 1 (0 GF, 0 GA, 0 GD)
3. Denmark - 1 (0 GF, 0 GA, 0 GD)
4, Australia - 0 (1 GF, 4 GA, -3 GD)
Australia presented France with an early scare when Craig Goodwin opened the scoring in the ninth minute.
The Aussie goal set off some alarm bells because of a recent trend that has plagued recent World Cup winners. The three champions before France failed to make it out of the group stage in their title defense.
France did not panic, and it found the back of the net twice before halftime. Adrien Rabiot headed home the equalizer in the 27th minute to begin France's dominance.
Olivier Giroud scored in the 32nd minute and then again in the 71st minute. Kylian Mbappe opened his account with a goal in the 68th minute.
With his second goal, Giroud tied Thierry Henry for the most goals scored for the France men's national team.
OLIVIER GIROUD 🔥
With this goal he ties Thierry Henry for the most goals in France men's national team history 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/3GOz3FqUrF
Giroud can eclipse Henry on the French scoring chart against Denmark on Saturday.
The Danes played to a scoreless draw with Tunisia in the first of two Group D games that were played on Tuesday.
Denmark produced six shots on goal, but it could not find a breakthrough against the African side. Tunisia will try to carry over the momentum gained from the draw into Saturday's clash with Australia.
Wednesday Schedule
Group F: Morocco vs. Croatia (5 a.m. ET, FS1)
Group E: Germany vs. Japan (8 a.m. ET, FS1)
Group E: Spain vs. Costa Rica (11 a.m. ET, Fox)
Group F: Belgium vs. Canada (2 p.m. ET, Fox)
Lionel Messi on Loss to Saudi Arabia: 'No Excuses'; Argentina Will 'Be More United'
Nov 22, 2022
Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts after missing a chance during the World Cup group C soccer match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Lionel Messi is looking to move on after Argentina suffered a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday at the 2022 World Cup.
"There are no excuses," Messi told reporters after the match. "We are going to be more united than ever. This group is strong, and we have shown it. It is a situation that we haven't gone through in a long time. Now we have to show that this is a real group."
Argentina entered the day as one of the tournament's top contenders after going unbeaten in 36 straight matches. The squad is No. 3 in FIFA's world rankings, while Saudi Arabia is the World Cup's second-lowest-ranked team at No. 53.
It set up one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history.
Messi opened the scoring on a penalty in the 10th minute, but Argentina struggled to take advantage of opportunities for the remainder of the match. Saudi Arabia took just three shots, two on net, but made them count with a pair of goals in the second half.
"It's a very hard blow because we did not expect to start in this way," Messi said.
La Albiceleste still can overcome the opening loss with upcoming matches against Mexico and Poland, but it will be an uphill battle to advance out of the group stage. Another loss would almost certainly eliminate the team, while a draw could be dangerous depending on what happens in the other group matches.
The last time Argentina failed to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup was 2002, before Messi was on the roster.
Messi has led the team to a World Cup final and Copa America title, so this loss marks a low point in the career of one of the greatest players of all time.
